15 Printable Grief Worksheets and Handouts for Kids & Teens
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Key Takeaways:
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When a kid or teenager loses a loved one, it can feel overwhelming, painful, and impossible to move forward. However, grief worksheets can be a helpful tool to improve their resilience and better manage uncertainties about the future.
Discover our best 15 printable grief worksheets and handouts for kids and teens experiencing the loss of a loved one.
15 Printable Grief Worksheets and Handouts for Kids & Teens
Understanding and processing grief can be a long journey. You can use our printable grief worksheets when your child is anxious, needs support, or feels stuck.
1. What is Grief Handout
When children and teens understand the ins and outs of grief, they can process and cope with the loss in healthy ways. This handout explains grief and validates children who may be confused, angry, or scared. It provides a simple look into what you might experience and shares tips on managing emotions.
2. Grief Myths and Truths
No two people experience grief in the same way, but external influences like peers and the media may give kids unrealistic expectations of grief. By learning some grief myths and truths, children can grasp grief accurately and be assured that there is no right or wrong way to grieve.
Our handout explores common myths, such as "time heals all wounds,” and gives children a more realistic view of the healing process.
3. 4 Tasks of Mourning
Grief isn’t just about experiencing sadness and depression—American psychologist J. William Worden attributes the process to four tasks of mourning, which include accepting reality, experiencing pain, and adjusting to a new normal [*].
Understanding these four tasks can help normalize unfamiliar feelings that may seem frightening to children experiencing them for the first time.
4. TEAR Model of Grief
The TEAR model of grief provides a simple and straightforward interpretation of the four tasks of mourning. This handout is appropriate for younger children who may struggle to accept the reality of the loss and don’t quite have the vocabulary or understanding to express themselves thoroughly.
Each letter represents a task:
- To accept the reality
- Experience the pain of loss
- Adjust to life after the loss
- Reinvest in the new reality
5. Ways to Cope with a Loss
When a child is overwhelmed with grief, it may feel impossible to come to terms with such a painful loss. In exploring the different ways to cope with a loss, children can determine what healthy habits work best for them, such as practicing self-care, asking for help from a loved one, or talking to friends and relatives.
6. Helping Children Cope with Grief
Most young children lack the emotional maturity to understand death—much less cope with it. Helping children cope with grief is fundamental to their mental stability after experiencing a loss.
Our handout provides tips for parents, teachers, and trusted adults when helping children navigate their grief. It empowers parents to stay present in moments of need, maintain routines to keep a sense of normalcy and seek support from mental health professionals.
You can also explore other grief activities like discussing regrets, making a promise jar, participating in a support group, or encouraging your child to write a letter to their future self.
7. Coping with the Loss of a Pet
For many, losing a pet is akin to losing a family, and it can be especially hard for kids to accept. Our handout on coping with the loss of a pet helps children understand the permanence of death but reminds them that pets have lives worth celebrating.
It uses the acronym UNFORGETTABLE to encourage kids to do things like:
- Open up to keep their pet’s spirit alive
- Embrace the process of healing
- Never forget the times they shared with their pet
8. How to Support a Grieving Friend
Providing support to someone who is grieving makes us more empathetic people. Teaching a child how to support a grieving friend makes them other-oriented and well-rounded. Our handout divides the process into dos and don’ts, advising kids to be good listeners but not to rush the healing process.
Quick tips include initiating conversations to check in with friends and giving friends space when they need time alone.
9. 5 Stages of Grief Poster
Grief isn’t linear, but understanding five of its stages can help put into perspective what your child is experiencing. Our poster outlines each stage with relevant visuals, particularly for children to get a sense of where they are in the healing process.
10. 5 Stages of Grief Handout
Our 5 stages of grief handout is better suited for older kids or teenagers needing a more in-depth look at the grieving process. It provides more comprehensive information about each stage and presents the concepts in a simpler, less intimidating way.
The handout also suggests activities for kids to try throughout each stage, such as journaling or finding healthy ways to express anger. You can use this handout to introduce the more complete 6 stages of grief.
11. Coping with the 5 Stages of Grief
When a child grieves, it’s normal to feel stuck in a particular stage. Our handout suggests activities and outlets for moving through each stage. For example, we recommend channeling anger into creative outlets or exercise, while practicing self-compassion can be reassuring during the bargaining stage.
12. Coping Skills for Grief
Grief can be all-encompassing and make it difficult for children and teens to cope. Our handout outlines tips for getting through tough times with the acronym RECOVERY.
It suggests action steps like:
- Remembering happy memories with the lost loved one
- Connecting with others when feeling alone
- Valuing self-care
13. Coping Skills for Depression
When people grieve, it isn’t uncommon to enter a depressive period, but it can be challenging to overcome. With the right coping skills for depression, kids and teens can turn unhealthy coping mechanisms into healthy habits.
Our worksheet lists unhealthy coping mechanisms to watch out for, such as reacting with anger, shutting down, procrastinating, and engaging in reckless behavior. It then suggests more positive activities like going on a walk, practicing deep belly breathing, or volunteering at a local charity.
14. Coping Statements for Anger
It’s normal to feel angry after a loss, even irrationally. Kids and teens may feel angry at the situation or even themselves. However, staying stuck in anger can fuel violent and self-harming behavior.
Practicing coping statements for anger can help kids and teens “come down” when they are emotionally high and ground them when they feel overwhelmed. Our worksheet provides affirmations like “I’m in control of myself,” and “I can be patient in this moment.” It also encourages kids to develop their own coping statements.
15. Self-Care Activities for Kids and Teens
When kids and teens experience grief, they may feel less motivated to take care of themselves. It’s important to remind them to prioritize their mental health, even when they don’t feel lik getting up.
Use these self-care activities for kids and teens to help them cope as they navigate their grief. It recommends activities like playing brain games, reading books about grief, getting enough sleep, and eating healthy food.
Summary
When a kid or teenager is grieving, they must know they aren’t alone. Using grief worksheets can remind them that there are ways to move forward while honoring their loved ones.
Explore our full collection of grief worksheets and handouts to help your child comprehend and process their emotions during painful times.
Sources:
- Stillion J and Attig T. “Death, Dying, and Bereavement.” Springer Publishing Company, 2015.
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